ARTICLE – Oh! What’s this? A cool little mystery box from our friends at KontrolFreek! Let’s take a peek inside and see what’s in store.
First, a greeting…
The first thing I came across was a lovely handwritten note:
Hi Jacob,
After a decade of making performance gaming gear, KontrolFreek has had many faces. The purpose of this box is to tell KontrolFreek’s story; past, present, and future. How each of these items fit that story is completely up to your interpretation.
The only thing you need to know is that as a performance gaming gear brand, we’re just getting started.
Happy interpreting,
Maron MoreauPS. Give PolyOne some heat.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Thumb Sticks + Thumb “Wings”
I quite liked KontrolFreek’s thumbsticks when I reviewed them, and these look to be another pair of those, plus something else that I haven’t seen before. They look like a little “wing” grips that sort of cradle your thumb, rather than act as an extender, they keep your thumb from slipping off the edge of the stick. Personally, that’s something that happens a lot during those crazy quick-time events during cut scenes, like, “wiggle your thumb to escape something that’s biting at your face.”
Black Cap
Some straight-up company swag, featuring the KontrolFreek icon itself. I like to think of that little guy as the Freek, with its gamepad/shaded face and cool, stoic demeanor. Unflappable. Ready for another round.
Performance Grips
Ah, another of their core products, Performance Controller Grips. The PS4’s DualShock 4 controllers aren’t exactly grippy. Their smooth plastic has a nice feel, but they become slippery with just a little bit of hand sweat. My hands get clammy when I’m playing for a while, or when I’m in the middle of a rare kill streak (because let’s face it, I’m traaaaash at multiplayer, but I still love it.) I’ll be happy to give these a try to see if it helps with my sweaty mitts.
PolyOne Thumbsticks
Interesting, another little handwritten note: “One of a kind.” And a small sample sheet of PolyOne thermoplastic. The material sheet feels very cool to the touch. If my guess is right, these orange mystery bits are a prototype of highly heat-resistant thumbsticks. The material is very grippy, and they fit the PS4 controller perfectly. I like the feel of that spiral pattern, they look a lot like the company’s Vortex thumbsticks. Interesting.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Performance Thumbsticks
Here’s another pair of high-rise thumbsticks, one of several branded items that KontrolFreek offers. It shows a commitment to offering products branded with popular franchises, and I imagine that will only expand. I think these will become another favorite of mine, the tops of the sticks seem very concave and grippy.
I noticed the A.D.S. acronym on the package (which stands for Aim Down Sights) and that’s a neat little addition that goes along with their brand … meaning that when you’re aiming down your sights in a shooter, you’re in control of your shots, just like using these thumbsticks helps you control your aim.
FPSFreek Epic
Here is another set of high-rise thumbsticks bearing a skull design reminiscent of the Gears of War series — that fact driven home by naming the product Epic, who developed the Gears series. These offer a concave design, but the material feels a little smoother compared to the Modern Warfare thumbsticks.
The Story
Even though I’m not extremely familiar with KontrolFreek’s history, the contents of this box feel like a virtual timeline of their products. From the thumb-wing / thumbstick combo pack, which feels like the company’s first offerings, to the officially licensed CoD:MW thumbsticks that feel custom-tuned for that style game, to the PolyOne prototype material. Past. Present. And a promise of things to come.
Each of the items in the Mystery Box felt … genuine. You know how you can sort of just tell when a company is trying to cash in on a trend? That sort of mentality is rampant these days, and feels almost like predatory marketing. Like, hey, kids these days like this Fortnite game, let’s make a Fortnite flavored thing. But these guys “get it,” making products that make sense for that type of game … making a high-rise thumbstick for quick building and easy aiming that also matches the colorful aesthetic of the graphics.
It feels like they understand what would work best rather than rushing something out the door that people might buy but ultimately be disappointed in. I appreciate that.
I’d like to thank KontrolFreek for their generosity and can’t wait to see what they come out with next.
To learn more about KontrolFreek and check out their line of gaming product, mosey over to their website.
Filed in categories: Articles
Tagged: games
So KontrolFreek sent me a Mystery Box… originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2019 at 10:00 am.
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